Goa to develop its own festival,not imitate Cannes or Boon: CM

Panaji, Nov 23 (UNI) All efforts are under way to make Goa a hub and one-stop-shop for the film industry, Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane announced here today.

Interacting with mediapersons while reviewing the activities in connection with the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) beginning here this evening, the Chief Minister said, ''We will develop our own model of a festival, not imitate Cannes or Bonn.'' He said the bids for the 3000-capacity state-of-the-art international convention centre would be finalised soon. The centre was expected to be completed within 18 months on BOT basis, he said.

This would enable the Entertainment Society of Goa(ESG), the nodal agency for organising the IFFI, to hold the festival on a regular basis for promotion of Goa as a one-stop-shop for the film industry.

The four-screen Inox multiplex where the films were presently being screened for the festival and the Kala Academy, then main venue of the festival had about 2400 seating capacity.

While giving details of the events in the next 13 days related to the festival, he said the authorities would run two mobile cinemas screening 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and 'Rang de Basanti' and other films across Goa.

The ongoing festival was a mix of all the language films apart from the national and international films, he said.

On the other hand, some of the prominent films would be screened on different beach fronts in the state including in the capital as was done in the last two film festivals.

Special films would be screened for the children at the children park, particularly the animation films like 'Hanuman'.

He said as Goa has been declared the permanent venue for the IFFI, it will a provide boost to the local Konkani films.

Meanwhile, four companies of CISF and 500 policemen in mufti were deployed to ensure security at the main venue, besides security at some beach points in view of an alert.

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